Erkan, Hanife, and their children Bengisu & Aybuke Beren live in Izmit-Kocaeli City, Turkey.
I have seen many pictures that Erkan has taken. He has a wide range of subjects, but I particularly like his nature pictures. He seems to enjoy this pastime very much.
Written By Duane Duff, Canada, 2006.

Kırklareli is the capital of Kırklareli Province in Eastern Thrace, on the European part of Turkey. Ongoing archeological excavations in the city support the claim that the area may have been the location of the first organized settlementon the European continent.

It is not clearly known when the city was founded, nor under what name. Byzantines called it "Forty Churches" ["Σαράντα Εκκλησιές"] and in the XIV Century, this was translated to Turkish and called "Kırk Kilise" . During the Republican Period, Sanjaks became cities and on December 20, 1924, Kırk Kilise's name was changed to Kırklareli. The Bulgarian name of the town is “Lozengrad”, which means “Vineyard Town".

The city is known to have been damaged during the Greek War of Independence. During the Balkan Wars, Kırklareli was occupied by Bulgaria, and then by Greece in the aftermath of World War I. The city was retaken by the Turks on November 10, 1922. According to the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, minorities here were exchanged with Turks in Greece. Most of the inhabitants of the city are Turks who formerly lived in Thessaloniki until the First Balkan War of 1912.

Hizirbey Mosque [Hizirbey Camii]: Located at the center of the city, it was built on a square plan by Köse Mihalzade Hızırbey in 1383. Built of cut stone and having one minaret, it was restored by Yusuf Pasha of Aydost in 1824. Still used today, the final praying place and garden walls of the mosque were built afterwards.

Hızırbey Bath [Hizirbey Hamami]: Also located at the center of the city and built adjacent to Bath and Arasta by Köse Mihalzade Hizirbey in 1383. There are two entrances, one each for women and men, and so it is also called "Paired Baths". According to an inscription in the women's bath, Hacı Hüseyin Ağa restored it between 1683 and 1704. Still used today, the outer walls are regular and built from coarse sandstone. It's a Turkish Bath in the traditional Ottoman architecture style.

Arasta [Bedesten: Kapali Carsi]: Built adjacent to Hizirbey Bath in a "T" form, it has arch-type walls. The upper cover is a vault 15 m long. There were 12 shops inside formed by three beams. It was restored in 1704.

Kırklareli is also host to the only cave that is open to tourists in Thrace, the Dupnisa Cave [which is believed to have formed 4 million years ago]. Dupnisa Cave was used for Dionysian Rituals [Sparagmos] in ancient times. Even the name of Dionysus is believed to have come from Mount Nisa that is above the cave of Dupnisa.

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